Comments (33)

The Professor and the Madman

a Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary
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1 to 25 of 33 items
Mar 16, 2024
Great read for the how the OED came came to life.
Sep 07, 2023drwclmnts rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
The sections on how the OED was made were very interesting and painted a good image on the struggle to complete this monumental task. However, the parts about our two protagonists were spotty at best and fictional at worst. Also, the…
Sep 18, 2022amahearn rated this title 1.5 out of 5 stars
The story itself is fascinating. I really wanted to know more about it, so I persevered through this poorly written book. Just go watch the movie if you want to know about the relationship between these two men. It's much better. It's…
Jul 05, 2021OIPgayle rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Earlier this year I read The Liars Dictionary, an immensely enjoyable fiction about a "great English dictionary" that was later discovered to be peppered with made-up words. I thought it would be fun to read a true story about the creation…
Dec 11, 2020joe_strnad rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Informative and decently-fun read. Good for language nerds as lexicography is a primary focus. I liked the old Victorian setting and the intertwined histories of the two protagonists. Those with an interest in the early days of psychology…
Oct 03, 2019DracAthos rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
I picked up this book because of the movie starring Sean Penn and Mel Gibson. The subtitle intrigued me as well. Murder, Insanity and the Making of the OED. But the book itself was a bit meandering. It didn't really focus on the…
Apr 20, 2019
" But then he began to harbor suspicions about his fellow soldiers. He said he thought they were muttering about him, glancing suspiciously at him all the time. One officer in particular troubled Minor, began teasing him goading him,…
Aug 09, 2018patcumming rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
I enjoyed the parts that described the methodology used to compile the OED. I had never really thought about what a Herculean effort it took. But the story about the professor and the madman was disappointing. Few facts, lots of…
Mar 30, 2018leforce rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Interesting reading, especially about the OED. Agree with other readers who thought it was too "fluffed out" - the entire story could have been told in half the length or less. I was really put off by the author's suggestion (without a…
Feb 21, 2018
The fascinating story of the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary also includes the story of a Civil War surgeon committed to Broadmoor, an English insane asylum.
Feb 05, 2018jontv rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Simply brilliant!!!!Simon Winchester weaves an true amazing tale, much like his other books.
Feb 02, 2018oldfrisco8 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
This is being made into a movie starring Sean Penn and Mel Gibson
Nov 10, 2017jsjs rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
The story is interesting, but (sorry) it could have been told with much less fluff.
Aug 31, 2017darladoodles rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
As a linear thinker, I greatly appreciated the detailed process that Dr. Murray set in motion to begin the immense task of creating a proper English dictionary. This became the revered and iconic Oxford English Dictionary…
Aug 30, 2017haminheadley rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
This may be the most singularly nerdy book group book I've read, but it's also an enjoyable one. It blends what could easily be a sensational, lurid story with an obvious, fitting love of words, blended with a dose of compassion for the…
Aug 05, 2017SCL_Justin rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Simon Winchester’s The Professor and the Madman is a story about two Victorian white men who helped create the Oxford English Dictionary. One of them went mad after the American Civil War and killed a man in England, where he was sent to…
Feb 15, 2017Eosos rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
What a fascinating slice of history. I never really thought about how complicated it would have been to create a dictionary, or what kind of people would be involved. While this story only delves into a very small part of the…
Dec 07, 2016lcraig368 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Loved it! Fascinating.
Oct 02, 2015
Don't miss this classic story of the making of the Oxford English Dictionary, featuring madness, murder and an unlikely partnership.
Aug 21, 2015wyenotgo rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
An extraordinary book, surely an example of truth being stranger than fiction. It centers upon the peculiar but astonishingly productive collaboration between a brilliant Oxford Don and an equally brilliant but clearly deranged former…
Jul 03, 2015IV27HUjg rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I read this several years ago & loved it. Now I'll listen to it for a refresher. Fascinating read.
modboi5
May 06, 2015modboi5 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
A compelling story and a terrific read once you get past the minutiae of word lexicography. The perfect length to cover a topic otherwise unknown and undiscussed in our English language - on both sides of the pond. Amazing analysis and…
Feb 09, 2015SFPL_RicardoA rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
An extraordinary, real life account about the life of one of the greatest contributors to the Oxford English Dictionary. A must read.
Oct 03, 2013sess430 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
On the strength of Winchester's book about the deadly, violent explosion of the Krakatoa volcano, I decided to read this book & I wasn't disappointed. It is about the monumental task (which took 70 years!) of writing the Oxford English…
Dec 24, 2012IV27HUjg rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I was totally fasinated. Don't read other reviews before as it might ruin the true story.